Bottle holder for mixing machines



March 10, 1942. I J. KANTOR 2,275,823

BOTTLE HOLDER FOR MIXING MACHINES Filed Nov. 9, 1940 3 SheetsSheet lINVE TOR. clawed fiauzg,

March 10, 1942. J. KANTOR 2,275,823

I BOTTLE HOLDER FOR MIXING MACHINES Filed Nov 9, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENIOR. Z86 ii'azzioz;

March 10, 1942.

J. KANTOR BOTTLE HOLDER FOR MIXING MACHINES Filed Nov. 9, 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 3 I L. 1 'I j/i 68 6? =5: l 62 I :o- 0: J2 60 F a 46 i6ORNEYJ Patented Mar. 10, 1942 2,275,823 BOTTLE HOLDER FOR MIXIN GMACHINES James Kantor, Chicago, 111.,

assignor to The Liquid Carbonic Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a

corporation of Delaware Application November 9, 1940, Serial No. 364,982

16 Claims. -(Cl. 259-54) The present invention relates to improvementsin beverage mixing machines and particularly to improvements in thecontainer supporting element thereof.

The present commercial type of beverage mixing machine usually comprisesa structure provided with a plurality of supporting elements adapted toreceive and clamp the filled containers. These elements are so mountedthat they may be tilted and uprighted during their path of travel and,at the same time, the container supported, thereby rotated on itslongitudinal axis either during the tilting or uprighting of thecontainer or between the tilting and uprighting movements.

The supporting element usually comprises a structure including upper andlower clamping members. These clamping members have portions rotatablymounted thereon, which portions engage and container and one of theseclamping members is provided with means for automatically centering thecontainer as it is fed to the supporting member.

In certain of the commercial structures, this centering means isincluded in the supporting member for engaging the bottom of thecontainer and generally comprises a cup-like structure adapted toreceive the bottom of the container and a table or plate Within thecup-like structure normally lying in the plane of the top of thecup-like structure. This table is yieldingly moved or held in thisnormal position so that as the container is fed thereto and when thecontainer is clamped in position, the bottom of the container will movedown into the cup-like structure, causing the container to be' centered.

One of the objections to this particular type of supporting member isthat it is not particularly adapted for receiving and holdingcomparatively large containers. For one reason, the yielding means formaintaining the table in its normal position, in the larger containers,must be made so heavy or strong that, from a practical standpoint, suchan arrangement would be unsatisfactory.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a, mixingmachine having an improved supporting member for the container whichwill handle the larger size container conveniently and which, at thesame time, may also handle various sized containers with a minimum ofadjustment or change of parts.

For the purpose of disclosing the invention, I have illustrated anembodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof with the top clamping arm removed;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a modification of the bottomsupporting arm of the container support;

Fig. 5 is a plan view thereof; and

Fig. 6 is adeveloped view of the cam for maintaining the centering meansretracted.

Referring to the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, .I provide a mixingmachine which embodies a base I including sides 2 on which base theapparatus is assembled. On the top 3 of the base, I mount a locatingplatform 4 which is adapted to carry a plurality of supporting elements'5, each of which is adapted to receive and support a container.

Each of these supporting elements comprises, in general, a bracketincluding a bottom sup- .portingarm 6 having a supporting platform 1 anda top clamping arm 8 having a rotatable top clamp 9.

There are a plurality of these. container supports disposed around therotatable supporting member 4 and each is mounted for oscillation on ajournal or shaft I'll carrying a beveled gear H driven from a bevelpinion ['2 and driving a bevel pinion I'3'at the bottom end of a shaftM, to be more fully hereinafter described. The pinion I2 is mounted on asuitable shaft, the opposite end of which carries a bevel pinion l5 .inturn adapted to mesh with a driving gear f6 so that as the head 4rotates, the containers carried on the supporting members will berotated on their vertical axes. The container-supporting elements, dueto the fact that they are journaled on the shafts Ill, may tilt andupright so as to cause an oscillation of the container in a plane radialto the head 4 and this oscillation is 'imparted through the means of asuitable cam structure H on which a roller I8 of each of the supports isadapted to ride. This cam is so developed as to permit the supportingstructures to oscillate about the shaft I0 as the head 4 is rotatedthroughout its orbit.

The gear '16 is driven by a vertically disposed sleeve I9. driven from.a gear 20 in turn driven by a gear 2| on a shaft 22 carrying a bevelgear 23 driven from a bevel gear 24 in turn driven by an electric motor25. "By this arrangement, the mechanism for rotating the container onits longitudinal axis is driven by a different mechanism than that whichrotates the head 4.

The support 4 is provided with a vertical sleeve telescoping the sleeveI9, both of which surround a supporting shaft 21 and this sleeve 26 isprovided with a gear 21 driven by a suitable gear and belt train from anelectric motor 28 so that the head will be rotated, thereby causingReferring now more specifically to the supports- 5 more particularlyillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, these supports comprise a bracketincluding -a vertical hollow post 30 having reciprocably mounted thereina stem 3|. The upper end of this stem carries a bracket or arm 8 of thesupporting member, at the outer end of which is rotatably mounted asubstantially cone-shaped or skirted container-engaging member 32. Thisstem 3| is biased in a retracted position by a relatively heavy spring33 bearing at one end against a shoulder 34 on the sleeve 30 and at itslower end against a shoulder 35 on an extension 36 of the stem 3|. Thisextension 36 at its bottom end carries a roller 31 adapted during theinfeed and outfeed portion of the travel of the support to engage andbear upon a cam 38 stationarily mounted work of the machine. During thetime that the roller 31 bears upon or engages the cam 38, the stem 3|will be moved upwardly to thereby raise the container-engaging member 32to sufficient distance to permit a container to be inserted below thesame and into the support.

The hollow sleeve 30 is also provided with a bottom or lower arm 4|! inwhich is rotatably mounted, in axial alignment, with the engaging member32, the shaft I4. This shaft is rotatably mounted in an enlarged housing4| on the arm 40 which housing contains suitable ballbearings 42 for theshaft and on the upper end of the shaft, I mount a table or containersupport 43 which, it will be noted, is removably connected to the shaftby means of a locking screw 44. The arm 40 also carries the roller H!which, in cooperation with the cam I1, is adapted to impart to thesupport 5 an oscillating movement.

Surrounding the shaft M, at the upper end thereof, I provide a cup-likecentering member 45 having inwardly tapering walls 46 and which isvertically movable on the shaft, although being locked to rotatetherewith through the medium of a pin 41 extending through the hub 48 ofthe member and engaging in a longitudinal slot 49 in the shaft l8. Bythis arrangement, th centering member may be raised and lowered to theshaft but, at the same time, is mounted to rotate with the shaft.

This centering cup 45 is adapted to be engaged by a collar 5|]surrounding the shaft l4 and axially movable thereon. This collar ismounted between the yoke arms 5| of a lever and on suitable pivot pins52 extending through the yoke arms and into the collar. This lever, inturn, is pivoted on the sleeve 38 through the medium of pivot pins 53which extend into bosses extending laterally from the sleeve and theyoke arms on the stationary head 39 of the frame- 5| at their rear carrya roller 54. This lever, in-

cluding the yoke arm 5|, is biased in a direction to raise the collar 50through the medium of a coiled spring 55 having one end bearing on therear end of the lever formed by the yoke arms 5| and against anadjustable stop 55 threaded into a hollow boss 56 on the sleeve 30. Bythis arrangement, the table 43 is axially stationary, while thecentering member 45 is axially movable and may be raised into centeringposition by the comparatively light spring 55 due to the leverageobtained through the lever including the yoke arms 5|. It is obviousthat with the containerengaging member 32 raised under the influence ofthe cam 38 and roller 31 during the infeed of a container, the containercan be fed into a position with its top immediately beneath the engagingmember 32 and with its bottom resting on the table 43. During thisinfeed movement, the roller 54 rides on a stationary cam 51 on the head39 and the centering cup 45 is in its retracted position so that its topis in the same plane as or below the plane of the table 43 permitting abottle to slide readily on to the table 43. As the rotating head orsupport 4 moves the container support in its orbit, this roller ridesoff of the cam 51, thereby permitting the spring 55 to come in action,raising the centering member 45 and, due to the inwardly inclined walls46 thereof, which are somewhat cone-shaped, these walls will engage thebottom of the container, centering the same on the table 43 andassisting in maintaining the container in its clamped position. Itshould be noted also that, as the support moves from its infeedposition, the roller 31 moves off of the cam 38, thereby permitting theengaging member 32 to move downwardly under the influence of the spring33, thus clamping the container in position on the support.

Obviously, as the support moves to its outfeed position, the roller 31,again engaging the cam 38, will raise the engaging member 32 and theroller 54, engaging the cam 51, will retract the centering member 45,thus permitting the outfeed star to engage and remove the container fromthe support.

Due to the fact that the table or plate 43 is readily removable from theshaft M by disconnecting the screw 44, and due to the fact that thecentering device 45 is also readily removable from the shaft M by theremoval of the screw 41, the machine may be quickly changed toaccommodate different sized containers, as all that is necessary toaccommodate the different sized containers is to attach to the shaft |4tables 43 and centering devices 45 of a size appropriate for thecontainer to be used.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have illustrated a modification of my device,wherein even the change of the tables 43 and the centering device 45 isrendered unnecessary to accommodate different sized containers. In thisstructure, the shaft I4, corresponding to shaft l4, is provided with anenlarged head 58 which corresponds to the table 43. This head or table58 is provided with a plurality, in the structure illustrated four, ofradial slots 59. Surrounding the shaft I4 is a collar 60 having anannular groove 6| within which operate the pins 52 of the fork arms 5|,whereby the collar is rotatable relatively to the fork arms, with theshaft H but is vertically movable on the shaft I4 through theinstrumentalities of the fork arms 5| and their pins 52. This collar haspivoted thereon four lever arms 62, one for each of the recesses 59,whichlever arms are provided with fingers 63 located beneaththe head 58and outside of the inner wall of the slots 59; The outer ends of theselever arms are provided with fingers 64. Therefore, when the collar 60is raised by raising the outer end of the fork including the arms I-5I,the fingers 63, engaging beneath the table 58, will cause the outer endsof the levers 62 and the fingers 64 to swing upwardly and inwardly untilthey embrace and come in contact with the sides of the containersupported on the table 58, thus centering the container on the table andholding the bottom of the container gripped against lateraldisplacement. The lever including the arms 5|-5.l is of the sameconstruction as that illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. By this arrangement,it will be noted that any size bottle, just so it comes within theconfines of the fingers 64, may be clamped in position upon the supportand that the fingers will grasp and center the same, irrespective of thediameter thereof.

I claim as my invention:

In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting element comprising abracket including upper and lower arms, one of which is movablerelatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, a downwardlyfacing container engaging clamp carried by and rotatable with respect tosaid upper arm, an upwardly facing cup-like clamping member carried byand rotatable with respect to' said lower arm, an axial stationarycentral table within said cup-like member, a pivoted lever supporting atone end said cup-like member, and yielding means biasing the oppositeend of said lever to move said cuplike member toward said downwardlyfacing clamp.

2. In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting elementcomprising a bracket including upper and lower arms, one of which ismov- 'able relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing container engaging clamp carried by and rotatable withrespect to said upper arm, an upwardly facing container centering memberrotatable with respect to said lower arm, an axial stationary supportingmember carried by and rotatable with respect to said lower armassociated with said centering member, a pivoted lever having an endconnected to said centering member, and yielding means biasing theopposite end of said lever in a direction to move said member toward thedownwardly facing clamp to cause the bottle to be embraced and centeredby said centering member.

3. In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting elementcomprising a bracket including upper and lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing container clamp carried by and rotatable with respectto said upper arm, an upwardly facing axially stationary containersupport carried by and rotatable with respect to said lower arm, anaxially movable centering member associated with said support, a pivotedlever having one end connected to said centering member and yieldingmeans biasing the opposite end of said lever in a direction to move saidmember toward the downwardly facing clamp, said members, when incontainer insertion position, lying in substantially the same plane.

4. In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting elementcomprising a bracket including upper and lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing container engaging clamp carried by and rotatable withrespect to said upper arm, an upwardly facing axially movable containercentering member having portions engaging the bottom of the containerand axially centering the same carried by and rotatable with respect tosaid lower arm, an axial- 1y stationary supporting table memberassociated with said centering member, a pivoted lever having one endconnected to said centering member, and yielding means biasing theopposite end in a direction to move said member toward the downwardlyfacing clamp.

5. In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting elementcomprising a bracket including upper and lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing container engaging clamp carried by and rotatable withrespect to said upper arm, an upwardly facing axially stationarycontainer supporting table carried by and rotatable with respect to saidlower arm, an axially stationary driving spindle extending downwardlyfrom said table, driving means carried by said spindle, centering meanslongitudinally movable with respect to said table support and movingsaid container into center position on said table by said longitudinalmovement and means drivingly connecting said spindle with said centeringmeans.

6. In a beverage mixing machine, a container supporting elementcomprising a bracket including upper and lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing container clamp carried by and rotatable with respectto said upper arm, an upwardly facing axially stationary containersupporting table carried by and rotatable with respect to said lowerarm, an axially stationary driving spindle extending downwardly fromsaid table, driving means carried by said spindle, longitudinallymovable centering means associated with said table having portionsadapted to embrace the bottom of the container and maintain the sameagainst lateral displacement, movable into and out of embracing positionby the longitudinal movement thereof, and yielding means for biasingsaid centering means in embracing direction and means drivingly con-'necting said spindle with said centering means.

7. In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting elementcomprising a bracket including upperand lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing container engaging clamp carried by and rotatable withrespect to said upper arm, an upwardly facing axially stationarysupporting table carried by and rotatable with respect to said lowerarm, a centering clamp rotatable with said table and longitudinallymovable relatively thereto, a lever having one end operatively connectedwith said centering clamp, and yieldable means biasing the opposite endof said lever in a direction to move said centering means into centeringand clamping position.

8. In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting elementcomprising a bracket includ ing upper and lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing container engaging clamp carried by and rotatable withrespect to said upper arm, an upwardlyfacing axially stationarysupporting table carried by and rotatable with respect to said lowerarm,

an axially stationary driving spindle extending downwardly from saidtable, driving means carried by said spindle, a cup-like centeringmember surrounding and rotatable with said table and longitudinallymovable relatively thereto, and yielding means biasing said cup-likemember toward said upper clamp and means for drivingly connecting saidspindle with said centering memher.

9. In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting elementcomprising a bracket including upper and lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly .facing container engaging clamp carried by and rotatablewith respect to said upper arm, an axially stationary upwardly facingsupporting table carried by and rotatable with respect to said lowerarm, a cuplike centering member surrounding and rotatable with saidtable and movable longitudinally therewith, a lever arm having one endconnected to said centering member and yielding means biasing theopposite end of said lever in a direction to move said centering meanstoward the bottom of the container.

10. In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting elementcomprising a bracket including upper and lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing containerengaging clamp carried by and rotatable withrespect to said upper arm, an upwardly facing axially stationarycontainer-supporting table carried by and rotatable with respect to saidlower arm, separable fingers associated and rotatable with said tableand movable toward and away from a container supported by said table,and yielding means biasing said fingers into container-engagingmovement.

11. In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting elementcomprising a bracket including upper and lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing containerengaging clamp carried by and rotatable withrespect to said upper arm, an upper facing axially stationary supportingtable carried by and rotatable with respect to said lower arm, aplurality of container clamping fingers associated and rotatable withsaid table and longitudinally movable relatively thereto for embracingand centering the bottom of a container and moved into embracingposition by the longitudinal movement thereof, and yielding meansbiasing said arms longitudinally into embracing position.

12. In a beverage mixing machine, a containersupporting elementcomprising a bracket including upper and lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing containerengaging clamp carried by and rotatable withrespect to said upper arm, an upwardly facing axially stationarycontainer-supporting table carried by and rotatable with respect to saidlower arm, clamping arms associated and rotatable with said table,longitudinally movable relative to said table and movable into clampingposition by their longitudinal movement, a lever having one endconnected to said arms and yielding means biasing the opposite end ofsaid lever in a direction to move said arms into clamping position.

13. In a beverage mixing machine, a base, a rotary table, containersupporting elements journaled on said table for tilting and uprightingmovement of the container in a plane substan tially radial with respectto said table, said element comprising a bracket including upper andlower arms, one of which is movable relatively to the other to engageand clamp the container, a downwardly facing container-engaging clampcarried by and rotatable withrespect to said upper arm, an upwardlyfacing axially stationary container-supporting member carried by androtatable with respect to said lower arm, a centering member rotatableWith said supporting member, a lever having one end connected to one ofsaid members, yieldable means biasing the opposite end of said lever ina direction to move said supporting member toward said upper clamp, andmeans for locking said lever in a position to maintain said centeringmeans in its retracted position during a portion of the upright positionof said supporting element.

14. In a, mixing apparatus, a table, a rotary container-supportingelement journaled on said table for tilting and uprighting movement of acontainer in a plane substantially radial with respect to said table andcomprising a bracket including upper and lower arms, one of which ismovable relatively to the other to engage and clamp the container, adownwardly facing container-engaging clamp carried by and rotatable withrespect to said upper arm, an upwardly facing axially stationarysupporting table member carried by and rotatable with respect to saidlower arm, a centering member rotatable with said supporting member,movable relatively to the said table, a lever having one end connectedto said longitudinally movable centering member, resilient means forbiasing the opposite end of said lever to move said member toward saidclamp, means for separating said clamping arms during a period ofrotation of said rotary table, and means for locking said centeringmeans in its retracted position during said separation.

15. A container-supporting element comprising a bracket including upperand lower arms, one of which is movable relatively to the other toengage and clamp the container, a downwardly facing container-engagingclamp carried by and rotatable with respect to said upper arm, a drivingshaft mounted in said lower arm in axial alignment with saidcontainer-engaging clamp, a container-supporting table removably mountedon said driving shaft, and an axially movable container centering memberremovably drivingly connected with said shaft and axially movablethereon.

16. A container-supporting element comprising a bracket including asupporting standard, upper and lower arms carried by said standard, oneof which is movable relatively to the other to engage and clamp thecontainer, a downwardly facing container-engaging clamp carried by androtatable with respect to the upper arm, an axially stationary tablecarried by and rotatable with respect to the lower arms, a containercentering member axially movable to engage the bottom portion of thecontainer resting on said table and center the same on said table, alever pivotally mounted on said standard and having its free arm adaptedto engage and move said longitudinally movable centering member, and aspring engaging the opposite end of said lever and biasing saidcentering member in its raised centering position.

JAMES KANTOR.

